A Director General at the Ministry of Health says Gbudwe and Kapoeta states have recorded the highest HIV/AIDs prevalence in 2016.

Dr. Agai Akech said the total number of people living with the disease is more than 200,000 country-wide.

He said out of this, more than 20,000 are in Gbudwe and over 15,000 are in Kapoeta State.

“The estimated number of people leaving with HIV is 204,000 and out of this figure we have around 20,000 on care,” Dr. Agai said.

“It means who have put 10% of the estimated number where are the other 90%, this is what we need to talk about.”

Dr. Agai said more collective efforts are required to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country.

“To all of us, we know HIV has become a global and a public health disease that needs all of us to address,” he said.

Dr. Agai was speaking at a one day workshop organized organized by the South Sudan HIV/AIDs commission and the Ministry of Health with Support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Figures from UNAIDS indicate that there were 180,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in South Sudan in 2015, meaning that the number rose by 13.3% in 2016.

Gbudwe state in the former Western Equatoria remains the areas with the highest rate of infection.